In a way playing the political game in the legislature is very
easy; all you have to do is count to 20 in the senate and 56 in the
house. It's getting those vote that causes all the problems.
Even though the new governor optimistically reports "We are on a
path" to twenty votes in the senate, the path is not clear, straight,
nor easy. The challenge continues to be, as it has been from the
get-go, Mr. Snyder's fellow Republicans.
And the journey has been complicated by a political "hit piece"
that mysteriously showed up in the mail boxes of GOP lawmakers in both
the house and senate.
It warns that if GOP legislators side with the governor on rising
the tax on some retirees, the State Democratic Party chair, Mark
Brewer, will most certainly come after those R's in the house next
year. The fake flyer warns that Mr. B. will "explain" to voters that
Republicans taxed seniors to give tax relief to big business.
Macomb County Sen. Jack Brandenburg got the anonymous mailing and
was asked would Mr. Brewer do that?
The ultra-conservative former quarterback turned lawmaker answered
the question with one of his own, "Do sharks go to the bathroom in the
sea?"
Somebody get Jacque Cousteau on the horn.
Brandenburg and other senate Republicans are balking at the
pension tax and the governor and his senate lieutenant Sen. Randy
Richardville continue their coaxing effort to convince them otherwise.
Problem is the measure is a tax increase on some retirees and Mr.
Brewer knows it, even though the gov and Richardville contend it is an
overall tax cut for business.
If the duo can't move enough GOP guys from the "no" to the "yes"
column, the centerpiece of the Snyder reinvention strategy will be for
naught.
The governor believes he can count to twenty.